Cruising Day 1

As I sit and watch the snow fall outside, it is hard to believe that just a few days ago we were basking in the warmth of the Caribbean sea, dancing with our Disney friends aboard the cruise ship. Most laundry is done, and pictures have been downloaded from our camera....and I finally have a few moments to myself to begin to document the awesomeness that is our family vacation. In an attempt to document more than an occassional one line, I'm going to attempt to dedicate one post per day. Wish me luck!

Elliana sporting her confidence as she rides the airport train

It's no surprise that traveling with small children is difficult, sometimes even exhausting. The lack of routine, the overstimulation, the skipped naps all make for tired, sometimes cranky children. Well, lucky for us...our kids are rock stars and go with the flow (most of the time). And, even when they don't act as we had hoped/planned....traveling is ALWAYS worth it to us. Hard work and all. 

Maya enjoying the freebies from the awesome Marriott staff in Houston

 We left for the South a day earlier than our cruise in hopes of avoiding inclement winter weather and thus missing our cruise embarkation. A 2-hour flight during nap time had me worried for weeks ahead of time. However, God answered my prayers with a sleepy fuss-free baby who fell asleep in my arms and was happily entertained the remainder of the flight, where we could spread out in the empty seat next to us.  Upon arriving in Houston, we were blessed again with a basket of goodies from the hotel staff for our young ones and room to spread out and play in our room. Maya cried at night as per her routine and Elliana slept through it...another answered prayer. My worries and fears were literally melting away!

Maya and Elliana ready to head toward the cruise ship

 The next day we traveled to Galveston where we were inundated with questions of "are we there yet?" every few minutes for the 90 minute drive,  making us smile with delight as Elliana couldn't wipe the excited smile from her face.

As we boarded the ship, Elliana was more fascinated with the sparkly glittery floor that led to the cruise ship, rather than the ship itself. We entered our room, and practiced our safety procedures. I mean, where else than vacation can you don a life jacket with that kind of smile and grace? :)

Given it was 20 degrees when we left for vacation, we were all more than a little excited to head straight to the pool and feel the sun on our faces. Elliana had two pools to choose from or a water slide and Maya was limited to the toddler splash ground, but she didn't seem to mind.

We swam a little too long and missed the characters at the Sail Away Party on the top deck, but we didn't really mind. We knew a week long adventure awaited us full of fun, characters and excitement.